03 August 2017 Flexible Government The need to bring the other parties on board. By John Watson Remember Napoleon as he stood with his victorious officers before the tomb of Frederick the Great at Potsdam: “Hats off, gentlemen. If he were still alive we would not be here”. No soldier has ever received a better… Continue reading Issue 116: 2017 08 03: Flexible Government (John Watson)
Tag: Philip Hammond
Issue 114: 2017 07 20: Tick Tock (Robert Kilconner)
20 July 2017 Tick Tock Mr Barnier’s clock moves on. By Robert Kilconner Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock. In Mr Barnier’s room in Brussels, replete with the luxuries appropriate to the leader of the EU negotiating team, there stands a clock. At least I suppose there does, because he claims to hear it ticking… Continue reading Issue 114: 2017 07 20: Tick Tock (Robert Kilconner)
Issue 111: 2017 06 29: Week In Brief: UK
29 June 2017 Week in Brief: UK From the Brexit kitchen QUEEN’S SPEECH: Last week’s Queen’s speech, a two-year programme of 27 measures, 8 of which related to Brexit, omitted many manifesto pledges. Gone was the proposal to means test winter fuel allowance; gone were the plans to replace free school lunches with breakfast;… Continue reading Issue 111: 2017 06 29: Week In Brief: UK
Issue 110: 2017 06 22: Week in Brief UK
22 June 2017 Week In Brief: UK NEWS Fire GRENFELL TOWER: The Prime Minister has been heavily criticised for failing to empathise with victims following the disastrous fire at Grenfell Tower. Although she visited the site shortly after the tragedy there was resentment that she spent her time with the emergency services rather than with… Continue reading Issue 110: 2017 06 22: Week in Brief UK
Issue 95: 2017 03 09: Budget 2017 (Frank O’Nomics)
09 March 2017 Budget 2017 Biting the hands that feed you. By Frank O’Nomics Pre-Brexit caution is prudent, but the Chancellor may have undermined part of the engine of growth. The numbers look impressive. The independent forecasts from the Office of Budget Responsibility show UK growth forecasts of 2.0% this year and, despite a dip,… Continue reading Issue 95: 2017 03 09: Budget 2017 (Frank O’Nomics)
Issue 92: 2017 02 16: Week in Brief: UK
16 February 2017 Week in Brief: UK SPEAKER: John Bercow, the Speaker of the House of Commons, is facing calls from MPs to resign after he declared that he would prevent Donald Trump from addressing MPs and peers in Westminster Hall during the proposed state visit. Diplomatic sources have said that there has been no… Continue reading Issue 92: 2017 02 16: Week in Brief: UK
Issue 88: 2017 01 19: Week in Brief: UK
19 January 2017 Week in Brief: UK NHS: There are reports that 10 Downing Street has been critical, in private, about the head of NHS England who has been described as not enthusiastic and not sufficiently responsive to the problems within the NHS. He has rejected the criticism. Theresa May has insisted that GPs’ surgeries… Continue reading Issue 88: 2017 01 19: Week in Brief: UK
Issue 84: 2016 12 15: Week in Brief: UK
15 December 2016 Week in Brief: UK WEARING THE TROUSERS: Nicky Morgan, sacked from the role of education secretary by Mrs May, has been banned from meetings at Downing Street after publicly criticising the Prime Minister’s trousers. Apparently Mrs Morgan, an aspirant for the leadership following the resignation of David Cameron, was troubled by their… Continue reading Issue 84: 2016 12 15: Week in Brief: UK
Issue 82: 2016 12 01: The futility of forecasts (Frank O’Nomics)
1 December 2016 The futility of forecasts Are predictions for the UK economy deliberately gloomy? by Frank O’Nomics It’s all very well wanting to “have your cake and eat it”, but the more important question is “how big is the cake?” The government’s investment plans announced in the Autumn Statement, designed to counter the potential… Continue reading Issue 82: 2016 12 01: The futility of forecasts (Frank O’Nomics)
Issue 71: 2016 09 15: Week in Brief: UK
15 September 2016 Week in Brief: UK Foreign Affairs LIBYA: A report of the House of Commons Defence Committee has heavily criticised David Cameron’s role in the 2011 bombing campaign in Libya. Stating that the then Chief of Defence Staff, Lord Richards, disassociated himself from the claim that the operation was in the national interest,… Continue reading Issue 71: 2016 09 15: Week in Brief: UK
Issue 63: 2016 07 21: Week in Brief: UK
21 July 2016 Week in Brief: UK Government News NEW CABINET: New prime minister Theresa May has now finished assembling her cabinet. In a reshuffle which has been described as ‘brutal’, she has sent George Osborne and Michael Gove, previously Chancellor of the Exchequer and Justice Secretary respectively but both at the heart… Continue reading Issue 63: 2016 07 21: Week in Brief: UK
